One of the largest physical geographic structures in the United States is the Colorado River. Human activity and its interaction with this great river has an interesting history. The resources provided by the river have been used by humans and have also caused conflicts between human populations. One of these conflicts concerns the distribution of water and the effects of drought on this distribution throughout the southwest region. Major cities like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and other southwest communities rely on the river. It provides water to more than 20 million people, irrigates 2 million acres of land, four thousand megawatts of hydroelectric power, and more than twenty million annual recreational visitors. Additionally, once it reaches Mexico, the river provides water to irrigate half a million acres of agricultural land, as well as municipal and industrial water for 2 million people living in this delta region. The river also distributes its flow from lakes and canals throughout its course. Due to climate change, human demand, natural forces like evaporation, and human-induced climate change, this water supply is in conflict. Additionally, a recent change that began in March 2014 will cause a temporary surge of water in the Colorado River Delta for the first time in many years to help restore that region, and it is possible that it will reach up to the Sea of ​​Cortez again. The Colorado River is a very large river encompassing a 246,000 square mile watershed in the southwest United States and northwest Mexico (Shannon, 2014). It spans a total of 1,450 miles and crosses many land borders, starting in Colorado, where it originated. This origin is located in Rocky Mountain National Park in the middle of paper......e Drying of the American Southwest | Center for Immigration Studies. " Center for Immigration Studies. Web. " Colorado River Geography. " About.com Geography. Web. April 2014. MacDonald, Glen. " Water, climate change and sustainability in the Southwest. “Water, Climate Change, and Sustainability in the Southwest.” Dividing Mighty Colorado. "NPR. "Water shortages loom in the Southwest, could trigger water shutoffs in the Southwest, could trigger effluent and influent flow shutoffs. April 2014. Wescoat, Jr. James L. “Economic Development.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. “Declining Colorado River waters are forcing the first cuts in water discharges from Lake Powell. » 8 Mighty rivers dry up. Overuse." National Geographic. "What is the Continental Divide?" What is the Continental Divide? April. 2014.